dracula | “Raising Hell” by John G. Hartness | Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter 1

Author: John G. Hartness
Title: Raising Hell
Series: Quincy Harker, Demon Hunter 1
Genre: Vampires, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 110
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

I love re-tellings of Stoker’s Dracula, prequels, sequels, different perspectives. So I was very excited for what I found! A story of Quincy Harker, the son of Mina and Johnathan Harkers. That’s my this month’s Dracula book, for Dracula is indeed here.

About: Quincy is a demon hunter who calls Dracula his uncle, is on great “bail you out of jail time, and time again” terms, and is in general your long lost Winchester brother (10 points to your Hogwarts house if you get the reference) who gets his ass grated if he doesn’t visit the said uncle often enough.

This city of his has its share of supernatural junk all over the place. Not the least being the bar owning demon in cat’s body who can’t resist the urge to knock shit off the tables. But when someone starts killing off nephilims and draining their blood, well… That’s more of an evil shit a human would do. But why? Oh, and who?

Mine: I have not laughed so hard in a long time. Every joke, every other line out of Quincy’s mouth, is a killer. There’s a real nice familiar demonology here too, the encyclopedia-wiki friendly kind that we’re used to. None of that “let me rewrite it, so I’m unique” stuff. I love it, for I am real tired of the hundreds new ways a vampire is a vampire, if I’m being honest. The book itself is very short, real easy to read, and be sure, will teach you to cuss like a true demon hunter on a job.

Yep, happy little me is very happy. This one gets a strong 5 out of 5, and I will likely take the second one for the next month right away, even if something else was in the plans. We’ll see.

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Bookish | Dracula In Love

“Dracula in Love” by Karen Essex. I really hated this booknthe first time I’ve read it. Now I’m fairly indifferent! Remains a part of my collection!
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💬 #qotd Do you have any books you reconsidered as time went?

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dracula | “Powers of Darkness” by Bram Stoker; Valdimar Asamundsson

Author: Bram Stoker; Valdimar Asamundsson
Title: Powers of Darkness: The Lost Version of Dracula
Series: –
Genre: Horror Literature, Gothic Literature
Pages: 320
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

I set myself a small but not easy task. I want to read one book of Dracula every month this year. And I’ve started this challenge real well too, with, seemingly, the lost version of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. For he had to edit and censor his for England of those times. But he didn’t have to send the edited version to every other publisher abroad, apparently. So, places like Iceland got something different from what our copies might be.

About: The book is not ground-breakingly different. The essence is exactly the same. Except that here, after a very, very long debate by translators and whoever else at the start, we get different proportions, and slightly differently toned characters. For instance, while we had a fairly short visit at Dracula’s castle, or at least a short description, for it wasn’t all that short for Harker, and then a longer story of the hunt for Dracula in England, here we got the opposite. Most of the book is purely Harker roaming about Dracula’s castle, realizing he’s a prisoner, and that he really, really likes Dracula’s niece. The rest of the book is told very quickly, in meager little chapters, and not in the already familiar diary form. As for differences in characters, Dracula is a bit more blunt, and fairly more sexual being, not at all timid with his words or compliments. Others got some alterations too, but due to lack of interaction with them, since there virtually was no continuation after Harker fled the castle, I’ve nothing to tell other than what translators at the beginning told.

Mine: At the start of the book the translators will tell you high and mighty what this book is supposed to be, how it’s different, how different are the characters, their interactions among themselves. After a long debate, they come to a conclusion that this is: a) a rewriting by Icelandic translator; b) a blessed by Stoker rewriting by Icelandic translator; c) the original that Bram Stoker wrote, but couldn’t publish. In my humble opinion, they spoke too much to serve us what they served. If this is not word-to-word translation, and is instead an abbreviation, for I honestly tell you, at the end we’re told “and then Dracula came, roamed around, and those guys killed him” rephrasing, then I’m more than a little bit upset. And then, if it is an uncut gem, fully translated book, then it is marvelously bad. Either way, it seems, I’m not very happy.

If you like Dracula the way I do, both the historical figure who might have inspired Stoker, and the myth, the legend, Count Dracula the Vampire, then you should read this book, no matter what. And Dacre Stoker’s works too, mostly for his own speeches in them. This is also the reason I give this book a 4 out of 5, no less. For otherwise, if you are not a fan, this is not worth that high of a score, no.

The Best of 2018

Last year, including comics, I’ve read a little over a hundred books. Some were really great, some were really bad. Let’s start with the good, and then next Thursday I’ll tell you all about the bad.

Disclaimer: this is my personal opinion. It’s one of those instances where we can indeed disagree, and still both be right (unlike some other instances). Let’s read what we want to read!

Best of Sci-Fi

1. “The Tea Master and the Detective” by Aliette de Bodard: An amazing Sci-fi, Space Opera book. Very Sherlockian, with a great detective whose intelligence comes off as arrogance. I recommend it very much. And since it’s short, if you hate it, it won’t take long anyway.
2. “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer: I’ve read her “Heartless” in the past, about the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. That one was very unique, and very, very well written indeed. Well, this one’s just as unique. It got some cyberpunk elements to it too, so keep it in mind if you’re into the harder sci-fi driven cyberpunk.

Best of Crime

1. “Ghost Man” by Roger Hobbs: This book rekindled my love for crime books and showed me that I prefer the ones told from the criminal point of view. Especially if they know what they’re doing. Jack slid through danger like an eel, thinking on his feet, and came out the better for it.
2. “Vanishing Games” by Roger Hobbs: Yep, second book to the Ghost Man, this one is just  as amazing. At first I was dreading it’ll become a fatal romance, like Bonnie and Clyde or something, but it didn’t.

Sadly author died a couple years prior due to an overdose. It is very sad when people die, especially from things preventable. Even more sad when they had a mind like this.

Best of Horror

1. “Misery” by Stephen King: I had to re-think my views on Stephen King. You see, I don’t much like his books. I find his plots too stretched out, and often lacking in actual blood curdling horror that one can’t help but expect from a man dubbed the King of Horror. But this book was terrifying.
2. “I, Zombie” by Hugh Howey: I’ve read his Wool books, and oh boy were they dull. They sometimes get recommended as “if you liked Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky“, well, no. Yes, they’re similar, but no. Yet this book, now, this is something different. It’s terrifying, horrible, and will make you take a moment when you close it. The very idea is different to start with.

Best Misc. 

1. “Peter, Darling” by Austin Chant: You don’t have to be part of LGBT or Trans community to appreciate the sentence Peter uttered: “I like to fight, that’s what boys do“, and I apologize if that’s not a direct quote. Have you ever caught yourself doing something because you were told you ought to like? Even as a book blogger, have you never felt a need to read certain books, like them, because everyone else did? This is a great book to take if you want to, finally, sift through what is YOU authentically, and what was applied to you from the outside.
2. “Bangkok 8” by John Burdett: In Lithuanian we only got first three books translated as a trilogy. And after reading them all, I see why. You’ll be happiest if you read the first book. You’ll be happy with the first three. And you’ll be even more happy if after those three, you’ll pretend the rest don’t exist. This one was beautiful, with a character, Sonchai, unlike any other man.
3. “The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant” by C.S. Pacat: I will forever be grateful to C.S. Pacat for her books, for the world she created. It took an outright sledgehammer to my little bubble I lived in. It was getting dark in there, so I appreciate it. This particular book was so clever and funny, I fell in love with every character all over again. And the very last sentence had me laughing out loud.
4. “Strange Practice” by Vivian Shaw: If you want a classic but modern story of vampires and monsters, with fine adventures, and somewhat familiar, but not yet overused characters, this is the book for you. It was fun, amusing, and very interesting to read.
5. “Band Sinister” by K.J. Charles: I often say “this KJC book goes straight behind Magpies books“, but I think I finally found the one. This one is my favorite right after the Magpies. It was fluffy, lovely, and fit my own preferences of having people of common mind around you.

Best of Dracula

1. “Into the Fire” by Jeaniene Frost: I’ve exchanged a couple of sentences with the author, and I’m real pleased to say she’s very genuinely kind person. Her Dracula series are definitely among my very favorite Dracula series out there, and I am very sad I’m done with them.
2. “Dracul” by Dacre Stoker: This book goes both on best and worst of 2018. For the book itself is a lot like Kostova’s “Historian“, except with Bram Stoker following vampires. I like the concept, and I like how it was born out of actual biography, life as we know it, of Bram Stoker.

 

“Into the Fire” by Jeaniene Frost | Night Prince 4

Author: Jeaniene Frost
Title: Into the Fire
Series: Night Prince 4
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Vampires
Pages: 340
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

I really didn’t want to finish these series. They were too good, and I have not yet found a replacement for good Dracula series. But… I really needed more of it, so I’ve read it. And now I must obtain them all in paper form, so I can re-read and mark every awesome bit down.

About: Leila is bound to a powerful necromancer, Vlad’s stepson, Mircea. If one gets hurt, the other one gets hurt too, so there seems to be no way in killing him without killing Leila off. And the need to do so quickly becomes dire as Mircea falls into the hands of big mean magical enemies of Vlad Dracula.

Vlad resorts to renewing his ties with this sort of a blood brother (they’re made by same vampire), for he dabbles in all sorts of forbidden things. And while Ion hides too much, gets on everyone’s nerves, is an outright whore of a man, shifty and not really trustworthy, he proves to actually be useful. While he got them into some trouble, and even turned them all into women, Vlad included, he also helped Leila discover that the key to breaking the binding spell might lie in her heritage. It’s just that from here to there there’s a lot of time, time which they just don’t have, for the necromancers have found Dracula’s weak spot.

Mine: This is a very intense, fast paced supernatural thriller with hefty paranormal romance. An unusual choice for me, so in case the cover didn’t warn you of the nature of this book: keep it in mind, yes? Otherwise I’d not be this keen on a romance, but hey, I’m a sucker for Dracula kicking ass and asking no names. And sure, at times it was very sappy, but I loved how nothing went perfect, every character did their own thing, hid their own secrets, Vlad kissed a man, and nobody stood there waiting to be the support character with the right question on the right time. What I didn’t like was the fast end to it all. I wanted a demon hunt, tea time with Ion and maybe Leila’s sister, and all the other goodies. Oh, what books I’d not give for a 5th one in these series…

I loved it. And while I’m biased a lot by Dracula existing here, and being main character, I loved it due to writing too. It had substance both in plot and characters. So I give it 5 out of 5, and series get the same mark too.

Dracul by Dacre Stoker

Author: Dacre Stoker
Title: Dracul
Series: –
Genre: Gothic, Historical
Pages: 512
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

I’m a little overwhelmed. “Dracul” by Dacre Stoker definitely made me re-think all the books about vampire Dracula that I’ve ever read. And it got me real interested in Bram Stoker himself, so I hope to find books on the man, not just articles online that I’ve read extensively for hours after finishing this.

About: The book, at least at the start of it, is a loosely biographical on Bram Stoker. He was a very sickly child, bedridden. At age seven he almost died of fever, saved in a wicked dream by their mysterious nanna Ellen Crone. After he woke up, strong, and even able to get up, all healed and cured, everyone denied any help from Ellen, and claimed he was cured by his uncle and his leeches. Only his sister Matilda believed him. To add to the mystery, nanny herself packed up and disappeared without a word or anyone noticing, leaving kids on a wild investigation full of nightmares and more questions than answers, up until they had to abandon the cold trail. Nanna Ellen was gone for good. But only a few decades later Matilda spotted her in the streets of France, not aged a day, and the nightmares began again.

Mine: The whole search for Ellen Crone reminded me of Kostova’s “Historian“, and annoyed me to no end. There’s a lot of clue following, and a lot of nonsense too, like memories where you can look upon something from a different angle. What’s next, you open a locked door and know what’s behind it, all in a hypnotic memory? Dracul was a very childish and childishly stubborn idiot too, clever in his ways, but making no sense in his actions. There’s a lot of the “you’ll learn to love me” action that bothered me to no end too. And then the whole book was redeemed by author’s final word, which again makes me wonder: is the joke that had to be explained to be funny – really funny?

I will give this book a 4 out of 5, merely because it made me think and research things on my own. Anything that can evoke action or emotion in you in a book – is a well made thing. But honestly, make sure you love gothic classics, and that you don’t mind Kostova’s “Historian“, before picking this one up.

Bookish: All of my Draculas

These are all my babies.
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Kim Newman – Johnny Alucard | Anno Dracula 4

Yes, I was reading this book for years. Just happened that I dropped it, and haven’t picked it up for forever. Kim Newman is definitely not for everyone, and maybe not for me, but I have still troopered through “Johnny Alucard” (Anno Dracula 4; ISBN 0857680862; 400p.; Goodreads), and I will absolutely read the fifth one, no matter what.

Imagine America during the 60s to 80s – full of vampires. Andy Warhol? Vampire. Mad Men? Probably vampires. Vampires, just like the warm, feel the need and want to get famous, become movie stars, rock stars. Much like actual movie stars, famous people, rock stars – wish to become vampires. Problems are: some vampires don’t even show up on film, leaving them with such duties on set as special effects (ripping off clothing, carrying “floating” things around); while talented folk who are becoming vampires – often lose their talents. But this problem, unlike having no image on film, can be solved by faking it. There’s a new drug in town, called Drac, that gives you all the vampire traits for an hour or six. And this is how some young man named Johnny Alucard has evened out the scales among these two tribes of humans vs vampires: both parties crave each others blood. For if Drac runs out, well, some states don’t even consider vampires legally alive to be killed for blood again. In the meantime, Dracula is on everyone’s lips. Stoker’s name as pseudonime is as common as Smith. Directors are trying to overthrow each other by making better Dracula movie. Adult film industry is blooming with Dracula Rising and Dracula Sucking. Capes, castles, and intense need to tell the folk you are an indirect Dracula’s get is a must in Hollywood if you want to be a somebody.

Johnny Alucard, back then known as Ion, is the last of Dracula’s get. During war in Romania his own people, his own commando, threw him at Dracula’s feet as a tribute, as a snack, as an exchange for their own necks. Ion felt no regret over it for, in truth, the boy barely felt anything at all. This empty shell of a boy, with no fear or emotions in him, became the perfect vessel for Dracula and his final plan. For, after all, World can be taken in more than one way, and it doesn’t have to involve guns.

The book is very fine and interesting. It’s the author’s constant need to put names, backstories for the names, references, and so on, together with massive scene descriptions (which are great, don’t get me wrong, but what’s too much is too much!) – made it a chore, no longer a pleasure. I couldn’t listen to this book in audio form, for my mind would start filtering the droning that was in no way relative to the story and the next thing you know – missed a bit. So I can’t give the book more than 3 out of 5, but be assured, I shall read the fifth one in the series.

Books | Dracula